About 90 percent of the services I receive from people could be automated.

Ice cream dispensers could replace the guy behind the counter. Reservation websites can hold your theatre tickets as easily as box office personnel. In fact, the battle rages as to which people prefer — someone answering the phone and directing you to the appropriate department or a phone menu that lets you self-direct.

Why would anyone go to a store to buy a shirt when you can find thousands of options online? Purchasing online saves time and gas money, and you avoid parking hassles, crowds, and the stress of not finding what you want. With all that efficiency, why deal with people?

When I ask groups at workshops, “What is the only difference between you and automation?” I get answers like “speed” or “greater accuracy.” But the reason many jobs will never be successfully automated is emotion.

We need social interaction

In his book, “Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect,” author Matthew D. Lieberman cites research in the field of social-neuroscience that shows that without social interaction, our brains literally begin to break down.

Every human’s brain has a default setting that engages whenever the brain isn’t actively thinking about something or figuring out a problem. The brain’s default setting is social thinking. Even when given only a few seconds’ rest between problems, the brain will immediately revert to thinking social thoughts: “How do I fit in?” “What do people think of me?” “How will I resolve that personal issue?”

The fact that our brains are wired to engage socially drives us away from our computers, with their highly efficient yet soulless options, into places where people gather. As a friend once said, “Every now and then we need to breathe the same air.”

How can you ensure that customers will get personal attention when they make the decision to interact with your business? Most of the places I call might as well use a robot to answer the phone. Even worse, some people sound audibly upset that I interrupted them. “Joe’s Body Shop” could be replaced with “Joe’s Body Shop, what do you want?!”

And to those companies trying to train empathy — it isn’t working. If I hear one more customer service rep recite, “I am very sorry you are experiencing this problem and I will do my best to rectify the situation,” I am going to reply with the same monotone, “I am very sorry that you have to repeat this phrase, especially when you so obviously don’t mean it. Is there a human with whom I can speak? Preferably someone who still possesses a pulse?”

How to connect with people

Connecting with another person takes work. It takes training your staff to understand the true purpose of their job, which is connecting with someone. It takes looking at the person behind the sale, the problem, or the request. I think every phone in every company should have a sign above it that reads, “What if it was your mother on the other end?”

A more human workplace benefits your staff as well. The human brain has an internal time clock. Time either drags or flies by. Our clocks drag when we are engaged in repetitive tasks, but speed up when we engage in conversation. If you want your staff to feel like the day flies by, don’t have them read a script or recite policy, have them actually talk to someone. Reciting demands no brain power, so ideas come more slowly (resulting in poor solutions). Conversing draws from the highest functioning cortexes of the brain, making problem solving easier. Conversation creates a better human connection, which translates to sales.

What are you doing to bring the human element into interactions? Listen to phone calls not just for accuracy, but for connection. Real human connection is easy to track. There will be more laughter, a greater range in the pitch of the voices (rather than monotone), greater forgiveness for inconvenience (for instance, a long period of time on hold), and a conclusion that is more than just “Have a nice day.” Human connection is not as subjective as you might think, and it’s better business.

Stevie Ray is a nationally recognized corporate speaker and trainer, helping companies improve communication skills, customer service, leadership, and team management. He can be reached at www.stevierays.org or stevie@stevierays.org.